I hear a lot of native speakers say something like this:

• Once in the arena take first left down the hallway
• Take your first left down the hallway.
• When you come to the second floor, make a left and then take your first left down the hallway.

I am confused by such sentences because I am not sure if speakers mean this:

or that:

In other words, does he/she mean "take a left into the hallway and go down"(first picture) or "take left out of the hallway"(second picture)?

I hear a lot of native speakers say something like this:

• Once in the arena take first left down the hallway
• Take your first left down the hallway.
• When you come to the second floor, make a left and then take your first left down the hallway.

I am confused by such sentences because I am not sure if, when speakers say "first left down the hallway", they mean this:

or that:

In other words, do they mean "take a left into the hallway and go down"(first picture) or "take left out of the hallway"(second picture)?